Who Said Everyone Gets a Happy Ending?
by EverTheDreamer
Summary: The Wizard War is raging and there are bound to be casualties. Logic tells Hermione this. However, when Ginny falls, Hermione's sense of logic leaves her entirely and she refuses to accept the facts. FEMMESLASH
1. And We All Fall Down

"No!" Hermione screamed, seeing the jet of green light soar at Ginny's back, knowing it would hit its mark. Hermione began running. Even before the spell hit, Hermione was crying. "No!" Hermione repeated, tears streaming down her cheeks. Reaching Ginny just as she began to crumble, Hermione caught her.

"No! Ginny? Wake up. Wake up! Ginny!" Hermione cried and pleaded as she cradled Ginny's head in the middle of the battlefield. "Baby? Ginny, baby, please wake up. I need you to wake up!"

The battle raged around the pair.

"Help! We need a medi-wizard! Now!" Hermione said, her head whipping around as she cradled Ginny's head in her lap. "Now!" Hermione growled angrily. "Someone throw me the portkey!"

An old shoe landed a foot or so away. Hermione reached for it.

"What's wrong, little Mudblood? Leaving us so soon?" Bellatrix Lestrange sneered down at Hermione, stopping her reach by stepping on her outstretched hand.

"Bitch!" Hermione yelled, pulling her hand out from under Bellatrix's foot. She knew who had cast the fatal spell. "You did this!" Hermione launched herself at Bellatrix. "I'll kill you!"

Bellatrix laughed as Hermione bit, scratched, clawed, punched and kicked at her. Any pain she felt now was only minor to what this little Mudblood felt, she knew. She was enjoying the show of rage.

Growing bored of this spectacle, Bellatrix aimed her wand. She would not shoot to kill, though. She knew the Mudblood had spunk and anger and would be entertaining later.

"Stupefy!" Bellatrix yelled. And Hermione felt no more pain.


	2. Magic Words

"Crucio!"

Hermione screamed and writhed in pain as Bellatrix circled her, laughing.

Bella lifted her wand, stopping the spell. "Come, mudblood, fight back!" She aimed again and the spell instantly renewed, sending Hermione writhing again.

"Stand!" Bella barked at her. "Come now, if you fight back, I'll consider telling you what I've done with your little red-headed girlfriend."

Hermione looked up, fire in her eyes. "What have you done to Ginny?"

"Crucio!" Bella barked. Letting the torture continue a minute or so, she let up. "Tsk, tsk. Manners, mudblood. Hasn't your precious Dumbledore taught you anything? I shan't tell you nothing if you don't ask nicely. Now, stand!"

Hermione fought to stand on shaky legs.

"Beg," Bellatrix sneered. "I've changed my mind. I want you to get on your knees and beg. Beg for mercy. Beg me to tell you what I've done with the Weasley girl."

Hermione glared at her.

"I said Beg! Crucio!"

Hermione's legs buckled, sending her to the cold, hard, stone floor where she lay, moaning and writhing in pain.

Bella lifter her wand and stepped closer. "Not tired yet are you?" Bella asked, in a baby voice. "I had some manual torture planned. Only after will I tell you what I've done with Weasley."

Hermione rolled to her side, "Tell me."

Bellatrix walked to the table and picked up a pair of metal tongs before walking to the wall and removing a lit torch.

"Manners, mudblood," Bella reminded her as she heated the end of the tongs.

Bella kicked Hermione to her back and she straddled her, throwing the lit torch against the wall. "Be nice! Your Weasley would hardly be impressed with your resilience."

Hermione spit in Bellatrix's face. "Fu--"

Bellatrix slapped Hermione with the white-hot tongs. Hermione's scream of unbearable pain brought a wicked smile of pleasure to Bella's face.

"you've been such a bad little mudblood," Bella said, throwing the tongs. She stood and walked to the staircase.

"Rodolphus! Come and help me!" Bella called gleefully. Bella whispered in his ear when he arrived and he nodded and left.

"Now," Bella cooed, "stand."

The tears streaming down Hermione's face burned at the burn mark left by the tongs. Fear shining brightly in her eyes, Hermione fought for energy to stand.

Rodolphus returned and handed something to Bellatrix, which she gratefully accepted. Right after, Rodolphus left, smiling.

"Come now, it's just us girls. Don't be modest!" Bella sneered.

Kneeling over Hermione, Bellatrix tore open Hermione's shirt.

"What are you doing?" Hermione asked, clinging to consciousness.

Bellatrix stripped Hermione completely of her shirt and bra and grinned evilly as she pulled the weak, frail girl to her feet.

Hermione was now half-naked and barely managing to stand.

"I want to see the blood begin to flow… See the cutting," Bella grinned hungrily. She pulled the thing Rodolphus had handed her from her back pocket. Stepping back, she drew her arm back before slashing it forward, slicing it through the air.

Hermione cried out in pain, instantly falling to her knees.

Bella continued whipping Hermione and reached into her other pocket with her free hand. "Crucio!"

Hermione longed to slip into unconsciousness but the biting whip and renewed spell kept her awake.

Bella stopped short. "Weasley!" she gasped in shock.

A red-haired figure dove into Bella, punching her to the floor before straddling her and continuing the beating. "Stupefy!" it finally yelled.

"Hermione! It's okay! I'm going to rescue you!" the figure told her.

"Ginny!" Hermione thought, slipping into unconsciousness. "She's come to free me from this horrid woman!"

Hermione's savior, Ronald Weasley, picked her up and held her close.

"I'll take you out of here," he told the unconscious Hermione soothingly before apparating out with her in his arms.


	3. Promises and Lies

Rain. The forecast for the following day was rain.

"It's not fair!" Hermione cried.

Since her rescue from Bellatrix Lestrange for days ago, she had been crying.

When she had woken up in St. Mungo's, Harry and the Weasley family had been by her side.

Well, the Weasley family minus one very important person: Ginny.

Mrs. Weasley had been the one to tell her: Ginny was dead, killed in the same battle that Hermione had been stolen from.

"Ginny saved me!" Hermione had protested.

"No. I did," Ron had told her. "I'm sorry."

Now, sitting alone in the apartment she and Ginny had once shared, she cried. "It was Ginny! Ginny saved me!" she proclaimed to no one.

"No.." Hermione shook her head. "No, they told me. Ron saved me. Ginny is dead."

"It's not fair!" Hermione repeated, throwing her half-full teacup at the wall.

"Ginny's dead. Ronald saved me."

Hermione stared at the floorboards wishing, not for the first time, that Ronald had been minutes later. "I would be with Ginny."

Hermione sighed, suddenly feeling exhausted.

Hermione through a maze of half-packed boxes, having already decided to move. This place had far too many memories. She checked a clock as she walked to the kitchen. Nine in the evening. The funeral wasn't until tomorrow. After, she knew, she would have to decide what to do with Ginny's clothes.

Filling a new teacup, Hermione left the kitchen to return to the den to get ready to sleep. She hadn't slept in their bed since Ginny had died and left her.

Sitting on the couch, Hermione pulled the closest box to her lap.

This one was full of Ginny's gifts to her throughout their relationship: Love notes, stuffed animals, books of love poems, and the like. Rummaging through the box, Hermione fought back tears.

Hermione took out a love poem Ginny had written for her during the Triwizard Tournament all those years ago.

They had been semi-dating then, neither girl really sure of her sexuality. When Viktor Krum had come along, Hermione had become infatuated. Ginny had quickly grown jealous, though. Hermione had thought Ginny's jealousy had been so cute: so very alike, and yet, so startlingly different from her brother's.

Hermione's hands shook so badly, she couldn't read the poem.

The shaking, she had been told, was a side-effect of the torture and trauma she had been through. It would likely wear off in a week or so. She was lucky that Ron had arrived when he did, she had been told, or she may have tragically lost her mind. Like the Longbottoms.

Hermione smoothed the poem on the end-table so she could read it but her eyes were too blurry from the tears that had yet to stop falling. She bitterly put it back in the box.

Hermione sat her teacup on the end-table, only to be splashed with hot tea. "Bloody hell!" She looked and saw that her teacup had been on an angle. Without looking, Hermione knew what had caused her teacup to tilt: a pamphlet of Paris.

"Ginny," Hermione said, picking up the pamphlet stained with tea and holding it to her heart. "You promised me a trip to Paris… Away from all this."

"Have I ever gone back on a promise?" Hermione heard a familiar voice ask from the door to the kitchen.

"Ginny?" she asked, not daring to check and have her brief hopes shattered.

"Who else?"

Hermione jumped to her feet and ran to the kitchen. "They told me you died," Hermione said breathlessly, raising her hand to touch Ginny's cheek.

"I faked my death. I wanted to ensure our future together and I knew my mother didn't approve. Now we don't have to worry about her interfering."

Hermione closed her eyes and felt Ginny kissing hr palm and up her arm. Hermione could barely believe it. She began crying again.

"What's wrong, baby?" Hermione heard Ginny croon in a soothing tone.

"Your funeral is tomorrow," Hermione half-sobbed.

"I know. You need to attend. No one can know the truth if the plan is to work."

Hermione cried harder, "Why? Why did you do this? Why did you put me through all this? I went through mental and physical torture!"

"I know! I saved you! I was the one who tackled Bella and beat the crap out of her- no one touches my girl. I just apparated before Ron arrived and apparated you to St. Mungo's. I visited you there, too. In disguise. Do you understand? I had to fake my death! Don't you see, it's the only way for us to be free! You're already planning to move! When you move, you can claim that you cannot speak with anyone from the past because the memories are too painful and no one will bother us!"

"But the viewing!" Hermione argued.

"Closed-casket."

"I can't do this, Ginny. I still don't understand. How can all this be true? I saw the spell hit you! I caught you as you fell!" Hermione choked out.

Someone knocked on the front door. Hermione turned to face it, surprised.

"Who is it?" Hermione called.

"Mrs. Weasley!" the woman answered.

Hermione whipped back toward the kitchen to tell Ginny to go, but the kitchen was empty.

"Hermione, dear, are you alright? I came to check on you," Molly Weasley called through the door.

"I'm coming!"

Hermione opened the door and Molly enveloped her in a hug.

"How are you holding up, dear? You've been through a lot this week. Poor dear, you look as if you haven't stopped crying!"

Hermione wiped fervently at her cheeks. "I'm… Okay."

"You're lying, dear, a mother knows. You're so pale! How's that muggle saying go that Arthur always laughs at? You look as if you've…" Molly paused, trying to remember.

"Seen a ghost." Hermione grinned for the first time since the battle several days ago.


	4. Dreams and Realities

"Hermione? Who are you talking to, dear?"

Hermione stopped breathing and her eyes widened. "She mustn't catch you! Leave!" she hissed.

"Are you alright? Hermione?" Molly Weasley prompted.

"Just Crookshanks!" Hermione answered brightly, turning to face the older woman with a bright smile.

"Oh. Alright. Well, if you're sure you're okay, I'm going to apparate home and prepare for-" Molly's voice caught in her throat. "For the wake," she choked out.

Hermione's grinned diminished quickly. "If you need help, let me know." Tears swelled in her eyes.

Molly nodded and left with a popping noise.

"I wish we could tell her, Gin," Hermione sighed.

"I do, too."

"It seems so cruel. She's your mother. It seems so…. Wrong. She's grieving and we're panning a life in Paris, that doesn't seem wrong to you?" Hermione asked, wishing the truth could just come out.

"It's the only way."

Hermione felt Ginny's arms encircle her. "When did she start caring. She seemed okay with us being together. You were here last night when she came to make sure I was okay."

"She cares, trust me."

"But… She seemed to have accepted us. Are you certain?"

"Hermione, she's my mother. I know. She refuses to accept us."

"I guess I'm just having a difficult time accepting that you're really alive. I can't get over it. I mean, how did you fake your death? I saw the light hit you!" Hermione protested, her logic fighting and taking hold.

Her question was answered with silence.

"Ginny?" Hermione asked, turning around. "Where did you go? Ginny?" Hermione searched the house.

"Ginny!" Hermione checked a clock. "Bugger! It's quarter after nine already! Gin, we'll talk after the wake!" Hermione grabbed her black dress and quickly changed before apparating to the Burrow.

"It's the strangest thing!" Hermione heard Molly Weasley say from the kitchen to an audience unknown. "When I arrived last night, she was talking to someone, but I don't know who, I only heard her voice. Then again, this morning, I walked into the living room from the guest room and she was talking to someone in the kitchen. Do you know, when I asked who, she told me Crookshanks. I could see her cat sleeping on the couch!"

Hermione cleared her throat before entering the kitchen. The Weasley clan and Harry looked at her as she entered.

"Hermione, dear!" Molly said, walking to her and hugging her, "How are you?"

"I'm fine," Hermione answered stiffly, pulling away. "When are we leaving?"

"Soon, dear. I just wanted to have the food ready for after."

"Are we taking the car?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, of course, dear," Molly answered.

"I'll wait outside then, if you don't mind. I think I just feel like being alone for a while."

"Yes, we understand. We'll be outside in a few minutes, Hermione," Molly nodded.

Hermione shook her head. _I can't believe I'm lying to them all. They're like a second family to me and I'm lying!_

"You're not lying!"

"Ginny!" Hermione gasped! "Why are you here? You can't be here! What if they see?"

"I knew you needed me."

"Where did you go this morning? Why did you go?" Hermione asked, tears filling her eyes.

"I had a few things to take care of. I'm sorry."

"Oh, Ginny, I just don't see how this is going to work!" Hermione wailed in frustration.

"Hermione? Who are you talking to?"

Hermione's breath caught in her throat. _Oh no! They've caught us! _

"Hermione?" Ron repeated. The rest of the Weasley family began filing out behind him.

"What?" Hermione asked, feigning ignorance. She spun around to face them all.

"Who were you talking to? There's no one here and I could have sworn you said Ginny."

"Yes, Hermione, dear. Who were you talking to?" Molly asked.

"No one, really," Hermione answered, still wondering why they hadn't asked why Ginny was standing behind her, very much alive.

The family looked at her, skeptical.

"Are we ready to go?" Hermione asked, changing the subject.

"Who were you talking to?" Molly repeated.

"Actually, I rather have to use the loo. I'm just going to pop in for a second."

"Hermione! You were talking to Ginny, weren't you?" Molly demanded. "Stop doing this to yourself! She's dead, let her go!"


	5. Silent Answers

"She's alive!" Hermione bawled.

"She's not!" Molly protested. "You know this! You saw the spell hit her!"

"Ginny, the secret is out, tell them," Hermione said, turning around. "Ginny? Ginny, baby? This is not the time to hide!"

"Ginny is dead, dear," Molly said, trying to soothe Hermione.

Ron wrapped his arms around Hermione saying, "She's gone, 'Mione, let her go."

"No!" Hermione screeched, fighting against his hold on her. "She's alive! I've seen her."

"Arthur, we'll have to postpone the funeral!" Molly said, turning to her husband.

"No," Ron said, barely managing to restrain Hermione. "We end this today. We cannot elongate her false hopes."

Molly nodded, her tears flowing freely.

Ronald dragged Hermione, kicking and screaming, into the car.

Inside the small church, the Weasleys managed to keep Hermione quiet and subdued, by some miracle. However, when the funeral procession reached the graveyard, Hermione broke free.

Diving onto the coffin, Hermione clawed at the lid. "Ginny, come out! She's not dead! She's not!" she shrieked.

Each time someone tried to pry her from the coffin, she drove them backward with disarming and stupefying spells.

"Damn it, Ginny! Open the coffin! Come out!" Hermione screamed, her tears streaming down her cheeks.

Hermione squealed in delight when she finally pried the coffin open.

"Ginny? Ginny! Get up!"

The cold, dead shell of Ginny Weasley remained in the coffin, unmoving.

"Ginny! No! She's alive! Ginny, baby, wake up!" Hermione cried.

"Hermione, she's gone," Molly said in a surprisingly calm voice.

"Lies! Shut up! She's alive! She faked it!" Hermione yelled back, pulling Ginny's ice-cold form into an embrace. "Ginny, wake up!"

Her answer was silence.

"Ginny!" Hermione sobbed, fearing the truth. "No!"

"Stupefy!" Ron yelled, getting up and aiming at Hermione.

Several days later, Hermione awoke in a room at St. Mungo's.

"Shh…" Hermione heard, feeling a hand grab hers. "Let's go!"

Hermione pulled herself from the bed. 'Ginny?" she whispered.

"Of course!" Hermione heard the whispered answer.

Reaching the outside of St. Mungo's, Hermione pulled her hand to her side. "Where are we going? What the bloody hell is going on?"

"Shh…"

"Damn it, Ginny, I need answers!"

"Such as?"

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see!"

And Hermione felt herself moving again.

She knew where she was before she asked. "Where are we, Ginny?"

You know where we are."

"Why are we here?" Hermione pleaded. "And why haven't you answered my question yet? I know I saw the spell hit you! What happened?"

Silence.

Hermione knelt and felt the gravestone by her side, tracing the name with her fingers:

_Ginerva Weasley_

_August 11, 1981- May 19, 2002_

_A cherished daughter, loyal soul mate, and faithful friend. Take before her time; she'll be sorely missed._

"Ginny?" Hermione asked the silent night tearfully, "You'll be with me always, won't you?"

Hermione waited for an answer, but heard only silence.

And in the silence, Hermione cried.


End file.
